Conventionally, a wireless communication apparatus configured to preferentially transmit specific kinds of data is known. For example, one of conventional access point apparatuses has a preferential queue and a non-preferential queue, temporarily stores data to be transmitted in one of these queues in accordance with the kind of the data, and preferentially transmits data stored in the preferential queue.
However, since the above conventional access point apparatus is supplied with power from a household power supply, it is not necessary to reduce the power consumption. That is, the conventional access point apparatus does not have means for reducing the power consumption.
Therefore, an object of the present technology is to provide an information processing apparatus capable of smoothly performing data communications with reduced power consumption.
The present technology has the following features to solve the above problem.
One aspect of the present technology is a computer-readable storage medium having stored therein a wireless communication program which is executed by a computer of an information processing apparatus capable of switching between an awake state and a doze state in which at least a part of a wireless communication function is restricted. The wireless communication program causes the computer to function as a data acquisition section, a first storage section, a second storage section, and a data transmission section. The data acquisition section sequentially acquires data to be transmitted. The first storage section stores, of data acquired by the data acquisition section when the information processing apparatus is in the doze state, first data which is to be preferentially transmitted, in a first queue. The second storage section stores, of data acquired by the data acquisition section, second data which is not to be preferentially transmitted, in a second queue. The data transmission section, when the information processing apparatus is in the awake state, transmits the first data stored in the first queue to air in preference to the second data stored in the second queue.
According to the above aspect, the first data (data to be preferentially transmitted) acquired in the doze state can be stored in the first queue. Thus, after the information processing apparatus has shifted to the awake state, the first data acquired in the doze state can be transmitted to air in preference to the data stored in the second queue. It is noted that the state “in which at least a part of the wireless communication function is restricted” is the state in which at least transmission and reception of data cannot be performed, for example.
In another aspect of the present technology, after the data transmission section has completed the transmission of the first data stored in the first queue, the data transmission section may transmit pieces of the second data stored in the second queue to air in the order the data acquisition section has acquired the pieces of the second data.
According to the above aspect, the second data stored in the second queue is transmitted after the transmission of the first data stored in the first queue is completed. Thus, the first data can be transmitted in preference to the second data.
In another aspect of the present technology, the first data which is to be preferentially transmitted may be data to be transmitted to other information processing apparatuses by broadcast or multicast.
According to the above aspect, broadcast data or multicast data is preferentially transmitted. Thus, data to be transmitted to some other information processing apparatuses or all the other information apparatuses can be prevented from being delayed, and the entirety of the network can be prevented from being influenced by such delay.
In another aspect of the present technology, the second data may be data to be transmitted to another information apparatus by unicast.
According to the above aspect, it is possible to transmit broadcast data or multicast data in preference to unicast data.
In another aspect of the present technology, the second storage section may store, in one of the first queue and the second queue, the first data acquired by the data acquisition section when the information processing apparatus is in the awake state.
According to the above aspect, the first data can be stored in the first queue, and the second data can be stored in the second queue. Data stored in the first queue is transmitted in preference to data stored in the second queue. Thus, the first data can be transmitted in preference to the second data.
In another aspect of the present technology, the second storage section may store, in the second queue, the first data acquired by the data acquisition section when the information processing apparatus is in the awake state.
According to the above aspect, in the awake state, the first data can be stored in the second queue, and in the doze state, the first data can be stored in the first queue. Here, data stored in the first queue is transmitted in preference to data stored in the second queue. That is, if the first data (data to be preferentially transmitted; broadcast data) is always stored in the first queue (preferential transmission queue), and the second data (data not to be preferentially transmitted; unicast data) is always stored in the second queue (normal queue), the first data is likely to be always preferentially transmitted, and transmission of the second data is likely to be always delayed. However, according to the above aspect, in the awake state, the first data can be stored in the second queue, and in the doze state, the first data can be stored in the first queue. Therefore, in the awake state, the first data is not always transmitted in preference to the second data, so that the first data and the second data can be transmitted in a balanced manner. On the other hand, in the doze state, since transmission and reception of data is restricted, data to be transmitted is accumulated during the period of the doze state. If such data to be transmitted is accumulated, the first data which is to be preferentially transmitted is transmitted in preference to the second data, thus preventing the transmission of the first data from being delayed.
In another aspect of the present technology, when the information processing apparatus is in the doze state and when the first data has been stored in the second queue, the first storage section may store the first data stored in the second queue, in the first queue.
According to the above aspect, the first data stored in the second queue can be transferred and stored in the first queue. When data to be transmitted has been acquired in the awake state and the information processing apparatus shifts to the doze state before the data is transmitted to air, the first data (D1) is left in the second queue, not being transmitted. However, according to the above aspect, the first data D1 left in the second queue is to be stored in the first queue. Therefore, even if another first data (D2) is newly stored in the first queue in the doze state and the information processing apparatus shifts to the awake state, the first data D1 is transmitted earlier than the first data D2, and thus the pieces of data can be transmitted in acquisition order.
In another aspect of the present technology, the information processing apparatus may communicate with a first information processing apparatus and a second information processing apparatus which are other information processing apparatuses. The first data may be data, transmitted from the first information processing apparatus, which is to be transmitted from the first information processing apparatus to the second information processing apparatus, or data generated in the information processing apparatus.
According to the above aspect, the information processing apparatus can transmit data transmitted from the first information processing apparatus, or data generated in the information processing apparatus. Thus, data transmitted from an apparatus can be transmitted to another apparatus.
In another aspect of the present technology, the information processing apparatus, the first information processing apparatus, and the second information processing apparatus may be game apparatuses that have operation sections and perform a predetermined game by exchanging data with each other. The first data may be associated with an operation performed in the first information processing apparatus, or an operation performed in the information processing apparatus.
According to the above aspect, in the case where one game is performed among a plurality of the information processing apparatuses, data of an operation performed in each information processing apparatus can be preferentially transmitted to the other information processing apparatuses. Thus, an operation performed in each apparatus can be immediately reflected in the other apparatuses.
In another aspect of the present technology, the information processing apparatus may communicate with another information apparatus. The wireless communication program may further cause the computer to function as a switching control section configured to switch the information processing apparatus between the awake state and the doze state in synchronization with the other information processing apparatus.
According to the above aspect, the information processing apparatus can switch between the awake state and the doze state in synchronization with the other information processing apparatuses.
In another aspect of the present technology, the switching control section may repeatedly switch the information processing apparatus between the awake state and the doze state, and may transmit information indicating a timing of the switching, to the other information processing apparatus.
According to the above aspect, the information processing apparatus can repeatedly switch between the awake state and the doze state, and transmit information indicating a timing of the switching, to the other information processing apparatuses.
The present technology may be implemented as an information processing apparatus capable of executing the above wireless communication program. The present technology may be implemented as a communication control method.
According to the present technology, it is possible to smoothly perform data communications with reduced power consumption.
These and other objects, features, aspects and advantages of the present technology will become more apparent from the following detailed description of non-limiting example embodiments when taken in conjunction with the accompanying drawings.